WE look at the stories that were making the headlines this week in the Andersonstown News in 1982
Getting stuck in together during the Lenadoon clean-up
NIE harassment continues
FOLLOWING this week’s disclosure that the Electricity Service of Northern Ireland was responsible for the closure of 13 small businesses by insisting on payment of debts, we report this week again on the continual harassment of consumers by electricity debt collectors.
On Wednesday 3rd February an Electricity Service employee pushed his way into the home of an 82-year-old widower in the Stockman’s area of Andersonstown and demanded payment of a small electricity bill.
The heavy insisted that the householder cleared his bill, which amounted to just over £80, immediately. It was explained to the collector that just last Monday £50 had been paid off the bill, leaving only approximately £30 unpaid. He was shown a receipt to this effect but he maintained his abusive attitude.
On spying pension and insurance books, the electricity man urged the pensioner to fill out a form giving the service permission to deduct his arrears directly from the Supplementary payments. The householder wisely refused to and remained unmoved by empty threats the man made about getting a court order to recover the arrears.
The electricity man was shown the elderly man’s electricity stamp book which contained 34 £1 stamps. The collector quickly pocketed the book and gave the tenant a receipt.
Last week we reported on the blackguarded behaviour of electricity service employees who assaulted one woman and abused two other householders in the Andersonstown area, before cutting off their electricity supply.
Joe Anderson, Jimmy McHenry, Tommy Moore, Davey Courtney, Hubert McDonnell, Rita and Paul Canavan at the Senior Citizen's party at the Pound Loney Social Club
Editorial: Further doubts raised over census figures
IN last week's issue of this paper, one of our correspondents highlighted what would seem to be a reluctance by the Northern Ireland Office to release the 1981 Census figures. He speculated on the reasons for this, and suggested that population trends since the last census in 1971 show a sharp drop in the Protestant population.
We have since heard that the Registrar General will shortly be making a statement on the delay and the reason for it. Nevertheless, we feel it is important to pursue this matter as it could have considerable influence on the political situation here, based as it is on religious head-counting.
The Six County State itself was set up on a religious headcount, by concocting an imaginary border which wriggled and contorted it way across the countryside, not for any geographical reasons, but simply to assure a substantial Protestant majority in an area that could be termed economically viable.
The unionists have ever since used this continued situation to bolster their own case. They continually talk about a million Protestants and a two-thirds majority, even though there never was a million Protestants in the Six County area, and our latest information would suggest that the Protestant population has dropped to something like 60 per cent. To talk about majority and minority in such circumstances is at best misleading, and at most dangerous.
This is something that the Catholic population in general, and their politicians and clergy in particular, will have to take into consideration when talking about devolved government with Prior, or political progress with the 26 County Government. It is important that we help the Protestant population to rid itself of its "majority" complex which has caused so much strife in our community. But is as equally important that the Catholic population cast off their "minority" complex which has led to their long standing slave mentality.
The McCahey party at the Andersonstown Social Club pool team function at Tullymore Community Centre
Kidney man for marathon
FINAGHY man Joe Raffo will be one of the several thousand people taking part in the Belfast Marathon in May. Joe doesn't expect to win, but nevertheless he will be making a modest piece of history and helping a good cause at the same time.
For Joe, who will be the first kidney transplant recipient from the North to run in a marathon, is to be sponsored on behalf of the N.I. Kidney Research Fund.
Joe himself had a successful kidney transplant over eight years ago and his excellent (above average) state of health speaks volumes for the benefits of the transplant scheme. Joe was on a kidney machine and would possibly have died if it were not for the kidney transplant he had. Since his operation Joe has dedicated himself raising funds for kidney research, and to promoting the kidney donor card system.
"Having been given the 'gift of life I found it unbearable to think of patients being deprived of a normal healthy life because kidneys are not readily available." he said. Donor cards are available at most doctor's surgeries but are still not being used widely enough.
Joe Raffo is the head of the West Belfast Branch of the Kidney Research Fund which aims to provide activities for members and to help the Kidney Research Fund. Joe has never run in a Marathon before, but he excelled at other sports. Last year he won a silver medal in the U.K. Transplant Olympics and only a few weeks ago he obtained the Life Saver's Bronze medallion.
Joe's kidney transplant gave him the chance to live again, and he is determined that others should have that same chance for which he is ever grateful. "All I can say, is thank you to the person who cared enough to be a donor."
Tommy Boyd and party at the Andersonstown Social Club pool team function at Tullymore Community Centre
